


Save a Horse, Ride a Winchester

by daydreamsofromance, montecarlogirl87



Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-09
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-02-28 19:35:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2744513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daydreamsofromance/pseuds/daydreamsofromance, https://archiveofourown.org/users/montecarlogirl87/pseuds/montecarlogirl87
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Impala breaks down and the boys have to work on a ranch for cash so they can fix it. But there's two girls on the ranch that give them a run for their money.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is completely daydreamsofromance's fault. We wrote this back in Season 2...that's how old this is O.o It was her idea, and mostly her writing, she handled most of the Sam/Niki, I handled most of the Dean/Adri...and the farm stuff. XD To date this is the only thing I've ever co-wrote, and it was a blast. We never technically finished it, but I love what we had, so while the 'ending' is probably unsatisfying, and it might feel like it's not fully fleshed out, I'm posting it anyways, cus I love it.

“Shit, Sammy, what’re we gonna do?” Dean exclaimed, obviously annoyed. The Impala – _his baby_ – had broken down on a random, unfamiliar dirt road in Odessa, Texas.

His brother let out a frustrated sigh. “It’s your car, dude. I know less about it than you do so if you can’t fix it…”

“What am I gonna use? A shotgun? I don’t have any tools or any money to get the damn thing repaired!”

Just as Sam was about to reply with some smartass response, the sound of horses’ hooves trotting down the road behind them caught both their attention.

One of the riders climbed down from her spot atop the black stallion, her black cowgirl boots kicking up dust around her ankles. “You boys need some help?” she asked, tugging the hat from her head so her brown curls bounced onto her shoulders.

The other rider, also brunette, stayed perched on the larger dapple gray horse she’d ridden up on, but pushed her sunglasses up into her hair for a better view of the brothers and the muscle car.

Dean quirked an eyebrow at the two of them. “No, we’re just sitting on the side of the road with the hood open because I like to randomly admire the engine.”

“If you’re gonna be a smartass, I’ll just leave you here,” the first girl retorted. “I was trying to be nice, but—”

“Yes, we need help; just ignore him,” Sam cut in. “He’s in a pissy mood ‘cause his car’s broken.”

His brother glared at him. “It’s not broken!” he stated. “It’s just…broke down…” he mumbled.

The brunette standing next to Sam grinned. “I’m Nicole and that,” she pointed to the other girl, “is my cousin, Adrianna.”

“Sam,” he replied, chuckling as he shook her hand. “That’s my brother Dean, but he’s not exactly in the friendliest of moods due to his _broke down_ baby.”

Dean was about to argue, but decided against it. “Look, can you help us or not?”

“That depends. What do you need?” Adrianna piped up.

“Cash,” the brothers replied simultaneously.

“Well, that comes in minimum supply around here as hand-outs, but…my dad might be able to help you out,” Nicole stated. “C’mon, we’ll give you a ride.” She mounted the stallion again and looked down at the expression on their faces. “What, you thought I was magically making a carriage appear? Get up here.”

The younger of the two men only hesitated for a moment before – somewhat awkwardly – following her example and climbing up behind her. “Dean c’mon, man, we need the ride.”

Dean stared blankly at him. “First of all, I am not leaving my car here and secondly, I am NOT riding that thing.”

“Sin could always drag you,” Adrianna replied simply.

The look on his face quickly changed from “fuck no” to appalled as she tugged a rope from her saddlebag and smirked smugly at him. “You wouldn’t,” he said, eyes-wide.

“Ride, walk, or you get dragged by Sinister.”

“But I…”

“Dean, she might’ve said walk, but she’s really only giving you two options here,” her cousin replied, glancing back at Sam as he shifted awkwardly behind her to stay on the horse.

“Fine,” he grumbled. “But I’m only doing this because I want my car up and running. Not because I’m scared of you. Just so you know.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Adrianna grinned as she offered him a hand onto the draft horse she was sitting on. “Hang on and don’t let go.”

“What—SHIT!” Dean shouted, clutching at her waist as she took off fast to purposely throw his balance off.

Nicole bust out laughing at the sight of it and made sure Sam was hanging on tightly before giving her horse the okay. The stallion trotted off after Sinister towards the ranch.

* * *

 

The fact that the ranch was a ten minute ride away from where the boys’ car broke down felt like forever due to their inexperience with horseback riding. When the two of them finally climbed down from the saddles outside the stables, Dean was walking bowlegged and Sam was hilariously trying not to.

The girls returned the horses back to their respectful stables and led the boys towards the two-story ranch house in the midst of a field of long grass, on a dirt path.

“Girls, is that you?” a voice called from the living room.

As Nicole waved off her cousin, signaling for her to do something that the boys didn’t understand until Adrianna offered them something to eat or drink.

“No, you’ll probably poison it or something,” Dean retorted.

“What he means is, ‘No, thank you, I’m an ass today,’” his brother corrected as he took a seat in one of the wooden chairs in the kitchen.

Just then, the sound of dog tags jingling entered the kitchen. The mostly black Border collie rested her head in Sam’s lap and made a whimpering noise that he figured meant she wanted attention.

Adrianna chuckled. “Well, I’ll be damned. Dayzee wants a stranger’s affection.”

Sam smiled and scratched the top of the dog’s head. “She doesn’t usually?”

“I’m family and it took her two weeks just to let me sit next to her on the couch.”

Dean snorted. “She probably still doesn’t want to, she just feels obligated since you live here.”

“That stick’s really crooked, isn’t it?”

“Excuse me?”

“The stick that’s shoved up your ass. I swear, it’s sideways.”

It was his brother’s turn to snort, only with laughter. “Dude, you guys are Snarkfest 2007.”

Nicole appeared in the kitchen with a smile. “My dad said he can’t just GIVE you the money, but if you’re willing to work for it, he’s more than willing to help out,” she stated.

“Work like…here?” Dean asked.

“No, he’s gonna get you a job at the nearest Wal-Mart,” Adrianna replied sarcastically. “Yes, here.”

“As a ranch hand,” the other brunette added.

“Meaning?” Sam inquired.

“You do what we do; only you get paid. And don’t even think you can get away with the excuse that you don’t know what you’re doing because our job is teaching you.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he chuckled. “Tell him thank you.”

“This also means you get to set up camp here,” Adrianna said. “Get a tow truck to tow your precious car back here and then we’ll show you your rooms.”

Dean mumbled something under his breath and then pulled his cell phone out of his pocket before disappearing onto the front porch. After feeling her stomach grumble, Adrianna decided to make herself a sandwich.

“Sam, I can show you your room now since it might be a few minutes for your brother,” Nicole said sweetly. He nodded and followed her towards the stairs, the jingling of Dayzee’s collar not far behind.

The brunette pointed out the first door on the right her dad’s room, first on the left her cousin’s, second on the right Dean’s and second on the left as his own. She gestured towards the end of the hall, stating that, that was her room if he ever needed her for anything before stepping into the bedroom he’d be staying in.

“So this is yours,” she said with a smile.

Sam perched in the doorway with his arms crossed, listening until the overwhelming urge to push her onto the bed won him over and as he did so, she didn’t seem to be surprised.

“Took you long enough,” she grinned before his lips came crashing down on hers. Clothes were no longer a burden after a minute.

“Sam,” the moan escaped her lips, but it soon morphed into an exasperated sigh, not one of pleasure.

“SAM!” she exclaimed.

He snapped out of the daydream, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. “What?” he asked, subtly trying to look her over and realizing she was still fully-clothed, standing in front of him with her arms crossed, a smirk on her face and an eyebrow cocked.

“Enjoying yourself?” Nicole laughed.

“I…shut up.” He felt the blush rising to his cheeks and tried to change a subject. “So um…what time is wake up call?”

“Ha, honey, if you hadn’t been day-dreaming you’d know that already. I’m up at 6, but if you need until…. 6:05, that’s fine too,” she chuckled. “Six am. I suggest you get to bed early.” She started out the door but turned back around to add, “Maybe Dayzee will wake you up with a kiss,” before disappearing down the stairs.

She entered the kitchen where her cousin was making herself a sandwich, all smiles. “Hey, so you and Dean are pretty friendly,” she teased.

“He’s a cocky bastard,” Adrianna replied through a mouthful of peanut butter and jelly.

“You think he’s hot, don’t deny it.”

“Sure, he’s hot but he’s still a cocky bastard,” she stated. “And what about Sam? He’s pretty good-lookin’. He was totally checking you out on the walk here.”

Nicole couldn’t deny that. Not after what had just taken place upstairs. “So?” was all she could come back with.

* * *

 

Adrianna stepped out of the bathroom, towel closed around her chest and completely forgetting that there was company in the house. Just as she passed Dean’s room, he emerged and the two of them collided.

“Shit, sorry,” he mumbled, collecting himself before losing his train of thought at the realization that she wasn’t fully clothed.

“Hey,” she snapped her fingers in front of his face, “I’m up here, Dean.”

“Hmm?” he hummed, eyes slowly raking up her legs over her hips and finally up to where her hands were plastered over her towel clad chest.

“God, you’re such a pig,” she growled, shoulder checking him as she pushed past him on the way to her room.

“Sor…sorry,” he said quietly, his voice cracking. She paused at her door long enough to glance back at him, meeting his eyes before her gaze dropped to the floor and she slammed her door behind her.

* * *

 

Nicole took another bite of the burnt toast on her plate and grinned as the taller of the two brothers groggily sat down at the table across from her. “Morning, sleepyhead. Sleep well?”

“No,” Sam replied with a shake of his head as he rested it against the tabletop.

“Plagued by steamy sex dreams?” she smirked before putting a forkful of scrambled eggs into her mouth.

“You know what,” he mumbled, lifting his head just a little bit to glare at her. “That’s not funny.”

“I think it’s hilarious. There aren’t a lot of boys down here and I knew you for what? A half hour?”

“Was it really that damn obvious? I was just standing there.”

“So was something else,” she murmured against the rim of her glass of orange juice, trying not to laugh.

Sam sat up straight, awkwardly, a blush creeping to his cheeks. “Where’s Adrianna?” he asked, trying to change the subject completely.

Just as the question came out, the sound of pounding footsteps and shrieking flew by in the form of Adrianna – with a pot and wooden spoon in hand – and Dean following close behind; clad only in boxers with bed head hair.

“I’mgonnakillyou,” he shouted angrily as he passed the doorway, heading for the front porch.

Sam and Nicole shared a look and then both burst out laughing.

“Started today off nicely,” she chuckled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slevin  
> [](http://s16.photobucket.com/user/montecarlogurl87/media/FicBanners/SaveAHorse/Slevin_zpse149cbb1.jpg.html)  
> 
> 
> Sin  
> [](http://s16.photobucket.com/user/montecarlogurl87/media/FicBanners/SaveAHorse/Sin_zps90033bcf.jpg.html)  
>   
> 


	2. Chapter 2

“Dean. It’s really not that hard,” Adrianna laughed. She was feeling rather…generous today, even after he chased her out of the house, tackled her to the ground and threatened to kill her, so he was shoveling the horse crap out of the stables. She was standing nearby, sipping lemonade casually, content with not having to do her usual jobs this early in the morning; and she had to admit, watching all the tight muscles under his skin flex while he was working was quite nice.

“If you’re talking about the horse shit I’m cleaning up, you’re damn right it’s not that hard,” he replied angrily. “You do this every day?”

“Pretty much. Horses don’t like living and sleeping in their own shit. What’d you think, it magically disappeared?”

“I don’t know, but this was never on my list of things to do before I die, I can tell you that much,” he muttered.

“Ha, well now it’s on your list of things done for the next however many weeks.”

Dean could only make a face.

* * *

 

“This is awkward,” Sam stated.

Nicole peered at him under the cow from the other side of the animal, trying not to laugh at the look on his face. “You get used to it.”

“This really doesn’t hurt them?”

“Well, it’s not like—I’m not even going to say that. But I have a feeling from the look on your face you know what I was about to say.”

“Don’t they have machines for stuff like this?” he asked, shaking his bangs from his eyes.

“Considering there’re only a few cows here and we’re not exactly super rich, there’s no point in wasting money on something like that,” she shrugged. “Just ignore the awkward and you’ll be fine in a few days.”

Sam chuckled. He was about to say something when a tractor started in the distance causing him to jump in surprise.

“You’ll get used to that, too,” she said casually with a grin.

* * *

 

“Damn, Sammy, you got a nice little sunburn,” Dean laughed as he lounged back in a chair on the deck at the back of the house. He was enjoying the cool, bug-free night and the mouth-watering sent of barbecue on the grill nearby.

His brother cringed as he leaned back against the loveseat swing cushion. Even with a shirt between his lobster-red skin and the rough feel of the fabric of the seat, it hurt like Hell. “It was too damn hot out there to be wearing a shirt. Now I regret it.”

Adrianna couldn’t help but let out a laugh as she pulled open the cover to the grill and checked the chicken that was cooking. “There’s aloe gel in the fridge, hun. I’m sure Nicole won’t mind putting some on ya.” Her back was to them so she didn’t have to bite back as much of a grin as normal. “She’s already in the kitchen.”

Dean was trying to hide a grin of his own. At least they were on the same page there; trying to hook up his baby brother with her cousin.

Sam made a face – that was more a reaction of getting up than anything else – and slowly got up to go in the kitchen without bothering to make a reply to what Adrianna had said. But he did mutter something under his breath that neither of them caught.

“Nik,” he entered the kitchen where she was washing a plate in the sink, “need aloe, please.”

The brunette couldn’t help but laugh a bit as he slumped into a chair. She grabbed the clear bottle out of the fridge and slammed it on the table. “How the hell are you gonna do that yourself, huh?” she chuckled.

He gave her a miserable look. “I’m not even sure I wanna try and get this shirt off,” he joked.

“If I do it, you’ll turn it into some dirty fantasy like you did yesterday,” she stated with a smirk, one eyebrow quirked at him curiously.

“Would you leave that alone already?” he said with an upset puppy dog expression.

Nicole gestured to the shirt. “C’mon. Before you shed tears.”

It took him a moment, but eventually he tugged the shirt over his head and tossed it onto the table next to him. “It’s not that bad,” he murmured.

“Oh really?” Sam immediately regretted that statement because he felt the sting of her hands pressing against his shoulders before he could think about taking it back. “Still feel ‘not that bad’?”

“Ohmygodyoujerkthathurts,” he hissed out in one mashed sentence.

She gently peeled her hands off of the burning skin of his shoulder blades and gestured for him to turn around in the chair.

“Come on you big baby,” she grinned, snapping the cap open on the green gel as Sam spun the chair around backwards and straddled it.

“Ready?”

He mumbled something into his arms, crossed across the back of the chair and she could see the muscles in his back ripple as he tensed them, waiting for the torture of her hands.

He flinched just barely when he felt the soft press of her fingertips but it morphed into a low groan as she slid the ice cold aloe across his shoulders.

“Better?” she asked softly, fingers circling over his shoulder, before trailing down his spine.

“Hrmmghh…”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Nicole laughed, heading over to the sink to wash her hands off. “Let that stuff dry before you put your shirt back on.”

Nicole’s Dad was out on the patio by the time they came out.

Adrianna was pulling the chicken off the grill, stacking it up on a serving plate.

Dean’s hand was sneaking over to the meat when the tongs came down hard across his knuckles.

“Ow!” he hissed, cradling his hand across his chest like she had broken it. “That was uncalled for!”

“Pig!”

“Sadist!”

“Pansy!”

The affronted look on his face had her laughing. She reached out and smeared a glob of the sweet barbeque sauce onto his bottom lip before walking away with a smile.

“How’d you boys like your first day?” Nicole’s father asked as he took his seat at the head of the table, kissing Nicole on the cheek when she set a plate down in front of him.

“I’m sore all over,” Dean groaned, jumping when Sam kicked him in the shin under the table.

“We really appreciate you helping us out, Mr. Atkins,” Sam smiled, dimples digging into his cheeks.

“Not a problem, son,” he said with a wave of his hand. “Be nice to have some help around here and I’m sure the girls will love the vacation,” he smiled.

Nicole grinned at Sam, biting back a laugh when his cheeks turned pink…and it had nothing to do with the sunburn.

* * *

 

Adrianna was carrying out four beers after dinner, Mr. Atkins’ already upstairs. She came through the sliding glass door just in time to see Sam flail comically as Dean pushed him…into the pool.

“Sunburn still bothering ya?” he laughed.

“You son of a bitch,” Sam spluttered, resurfacing and shaking his head to get the wet bangs out of his eyes.

“Here....Sam, I…” Nicole kneeled down, trying to give Sam a hand out of the pool, overcome with laughter.

“No!” Sam glared, “not if you’re gonna laugh at me!”

That just caused her to dissolve even further into giggles.

“That’s it!” he grinned, pushing over and wrapping his arms around her neck, pulling her into the pool with him with a splash.

Dean was doubled over laughing and Adrianna had put down the beers after she had almost shot some out her nose.

Dayzee was barking, tail wagging back and forth wildly as Sam and Nicole wrestled in the pale blue lit pool.

Sam had just resurfaced after she had shoved his head underwater and ended up being eye-level with her t-shirt…her white t-shirt.

“I…ummm,” he swallowed, trying not to ogle and his eyes shot to the side, going wide just in time to see Dayzee take a flying leap to crash into the pool next to them, dogpaddling circles around them.

Nicole started laughing again.

“You wanna join ‘em too?” Dean grinned, grabbing Adrianna around the waist from behind and picking her up off her feet.

“You asshole!” she yelled, the threat watered down by her laughter and struck out with the heel of her boot, connecting with the solid bone of his shin.

“Fuck!” he hissed, even though he was laughing too and stumbled, knee jerk reaction making him pull his leg back but still holding onto her and the extra weight had him falling backwards.

“Shit!” he laughed, back landing across the chaise lounge and hearing it groan underneath them as they fell over the other side in a heap of limbs and laughter.

“Ugh…I’m gonna feel that in the morning,” Dean groaned, laughing when Adrianna shoved a elbow into his stomach and ungracefully grabbed a hold of the frame of the chair and pulled herself up, legs tangled with his, half sitting on his hip, half on the patio.

“Idiot, you deserve it,” she smiled and he just laughed some more.

She finally managed to untwist herself from him and held out a hand to help him back up.

He grinned, his hand clapping in hers.

“Shit,” Sam hissed, his shirt making a sucking sound as the wet fabric pulled away from his skin, now standing on the patio next to a the equally soaked, shivering brunette.

“I’ll go get you guys a couple towels,” Adrianna grinned, winking at Nicole where she stood, arms crossed over her chest in a failed attempt to cover her now see through shirt.

Nicole stuck out her tongue.

“Nice move Sammy,” Dean winked, jumping when Dayzee shook next to him, soaking him with water. “Man! Now I smell like wet dog!”

Adrianna stopped, two towels in her hand, one foot inside the sliding door, one foot out.

“I’ll go get a couple more,” she laughed.

Dean sat down on the chair nearby, a look on his face that could only be described as Grumpy of the Seven Dwarfs.

“Way to be pouty,” Nicole chuckled.

“Way to be completely visible,” he shot back with a smirk.

“Adrianna, hurry up with the damn towels!” she called into the house, trying to hide behind Sam’s broad-shouldered frame.

“That shirt is completely pointless, Niki,” her cousin laughed upon reappearing on the patio with a stack of towels.

“Jesus, I know,” she groaned in aggravation. “Dad is totally gonna throw a fit if we trail this much water through the house.”

Dean immediately realized what she meant because she’d already managed to pull off her boots and wiggle out of the soaking wet jeans that were sticking to her legs; all that was left was boy shorts and a dripping wet, see-through t-shirt.

“Friggin’ pants,” she murmured under her breath as she wrapped the towel around her shoulders, more concerned about hiding her viewable torso than her tanned legs and polka dotted boy shorts.

“Your turn, Sammy,” Dean smirked.

Adrianna tried not to laugh, but a few giggles escaped. “I don’t think these towels are big enough for you Sam.”

“Hardy har har,” he glared, snatching one of them from her.

Dean and Adrianna were both laughing as he tried to pull his wet shirt over his head.

He got lost somewhere in the sleeves and was stumbling, dry towel pinned between his knees.

Dean was still laughing at him but showed mercy, walking over to grab a fist full of the fabric and yanking it off his head, loud _sluck_ as it peeled away from his skin.

“Thanks man,” he grinned lopsidedly, hair in a ten different directions. Dean just rolled his eyes and launched the wet missile at his face, grinning when it hit with a splat.

Nicole rolled her eyes and chuckled, clutching at the towel around her and headed towards the house.

“I’m freezing, I’m headed in, night guys.”

“Night,” Dean waved.

“Night, Niki,” Adrianna said distractedly, watching in humor as Sam bounced from one foot on the other trying to separate his boxers from where they were stuck together with the wet denim of his jeans as he tried to pull them off.

“Careful Sammy, ‘bout to give a peep show,” Dean grinned, leaning back against the lounge chair that he and Adrianna had fallen over earlier, sipping on one of the long forgotten beers.

“Shut up asswipe,” Sam sneered, still bouncing around comically before finally managing to tear his jeans off his feet. “God,” he shivered, wrapping the towel around his shoulders and cursing when it barely came to his waist and went off towards the house.

* * *

 

“What were you guys doing?” Mr. Atkins grinned, as Nicole went jogging past.

“Sorry Dad, didn’t mean to keep you up, we were just joking around,” she grinned sheepishly.

“Uh huh,” her dad smiled. “Night hun.”

“Night, Daddy!” she smiled, pounding up the stairs.

Mr. Atkins’ head turned when the sliding glass door slid open a moment later, a soaked Sam in nothing but his boxers skirting past the living room so fast he didn’t even realize he was being watched.

“Huh,” he sighed, watching as Sam disappeared up the stairs as well.

* * *

 

“So,” Adrianna said, snatching up the last two beers and handing one to Dean.

“Thanks.”

“I gotta go out to the back forty tomorrow, round up the cattle back there.”

Dean nodded, taking a sip of his beer.

“And?”

“And you’re going with me…so you have to get your lazy ass outta bed in the morning so I can give you a crash course in horseback riding.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, uh huh. No way.”

Adrianna arched her eyebrow.

“Alright,” she shrugged. “I thought you _wanted_ to get your car fixed…”

“I hate you,” he groaned.

She laughed. “It’s not that bad.”

He glared at her and she grinned, sitting down on the end of the chaise.

Dean had his beer bottle half to his lips when the chair let out an ominous groan and the wood frame cracked, the bottom falling out from underneath them.

They both were tangled up with each other, the cushion and the now splintered wood of the chair.

“Damnit,” Dean groaned, letting his head fall back, his shirt now drenched in what was left of his beer.

Adrianna giggled, grinning at Dean when he pinned her with a half-hearted glare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dayzee  
> [](http://s16.photobucket.com/user/montecarlogurl87/media/FicBanners/SaveAHorse/DSCI0026_zpsd7eb26eb.jpg.html)  
> 
> 
> and Mr. Rick Atkin's truck...not that it's important, but because I'm a gearhead XD  
> [](http://s16.photobucket.com/user/montecarlogurl87/media/FicBanners/SaveAHorse/Ricks95Sierra_zps86881154.jpg.html)  
>   
> 


	3. Chapter 3

“’Bout time,” Adrianna grinned, tightening the girth on Sin.

Dean held up his hand, tilting his head back to drain the mug of coffee he had brought out from the house.

He placed the empty cup on a fence post and clapped his hands together, walking over to where she was finishing tacking up the horses.

“Just gimme a minute to let the caffeine circulate,” he grinned, waving his hand. 

Adrianna rolled her eyes and finished buckling the girth.

“Cheese is ready to go if you wanna mount up,” she said, tossing her head towards the gelding tied to the fence behind her.

Dean chuckled, “Mount up huh?”

“Pig.”

“Bitch.”

“Newbie.”

Dean stuck out his tongue but went over to palomino paint. He shoved his boot into the stirrup and then bounced around like an idiot for a minute before he finally managed to pull himself over, almost sliding over the other side.

Cheese snorted, bracing himself as Dean swayed over him.

“Smooth,” Adrianna grinned, easily climbing into Sin’s saddle.

“Shut up,” he mumbled, fidgeting in the saddle.

“First off, hold the reins in one hand, not two, pull your heels down and put the stirrup on the ball of your foot.”

Dean was tempted to shoot something back but he could tell she was really trying to help, so followed her example when she showed him what to do.

“Alright, I’m pretty sure you can handle a walk,” she grinned, leading them out to an empty pasture. “So let’s try a trot,” she said, nudging Sin with her boot and picking up the bouncy gait.

“Do I have to? If I do that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to have kids,” he said, watching her bounce in the saddle.

Adrianna laughed.

“It’s easier than it looks, promise. The horses butt will push you up and you just go with it and stand in the stirrups for a second and come back down easy.”

Dean shook his head but eased his horse out into the pasture with her and nudged him in the side.

Cheese pushed off and picked up a trot and quickly came back down to a walk when he felt Dean lose his balance a little bit.

“Fuck.”

“It’s alright,” Adrianna smiled, coming over next to him, “Just follow me,” she said.

“One, two, three, trot,” she counted off, keeping Sin next to Dean until he got the hang of it and was posting to the trot as he circled the pasture.

Adrianna made sure he was perfectly comfortable with it before she dismounted Sin and walked over to the fence line, grabbing the lunge line that was looped around a fence post.

“Alright, canter time,” she grinned, clipping the line onto Cheese’s bit.

“Canter?”

“It’s sort of…like a rocking horse motion, ‘cept…on steroids,” she laughed. “You don’t post like you do with the trot…and I’ve got control of him with this,” she said, waving the lunge line, “So don’t worry about that until you get the hang of it.”

“Aright,” he said, rocking with the motion of the horse as she pushed him out into a circle, with her at the center.

“’Kay, I’m gonna put him into a trot and when I say canter he’s gonna kinda come up in the front a little bit, when he does that, just sit back and rock your hips to follow the movement, try to keep your butt attached to the saddle.”

“That sounds vaguely dirty,” he grinned.

“Trust me, horseback riding does wonders for the legs and hips,” she winked, clucking at Cheese so he picked up a trot.

“You ready?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Cheese, can _ter_!” she said, slight pull on the line.

Cheese immediately pushed off, picking up the faster gait. Dean managed to handle it for about one lap around the circle before Adrianna brought Cheese back down to a walk.

“Whattya think?”

“Weird, but yeah, I can deal.”

“Alright,” she smiled, prompting Cheese again.

Dean was surprisingly a very fast learner and after a couple more circles took over the reins for himself and was soon riding by himself as Adrianna went and remounted Sin.

“You good to go?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“I’m impressed Dean,” she smirked, leading Sin out of the gate ahead of him and towards the back pastures.

Dean grinned behind her.

* * *

 

The rain broke before Adrianna and Dean could make it back to the farm. They were both soaked to the bone by the time Adrianna was closing the gate behind the cattle they had herded home.

Dean groaned, sliding out of the saddle and stumbling.

“I think you broke my legs,” he groaned, walking bowlegged as they took the horses back to the barn.

“Honey, if I broke your legs you’d know,” she winked pulling the saddle down off Sin.

Dean smirked and untacked Cheese.

“Alright boys,” she grinned, slipping the bridle off and letting Sin trot out into the rain.

Cheese followed him as soon as she took his bridle off as well.

Dean stumbled, taking a couple steps towards the house, intent on a dry set of clothes, before he heard splashing and the horses screaming behind him.

He turned around in surprise. Adrianna had her shoulder leaned against the support beam at the back of the barn and was watching where Sin and Cheese were busy making a mess out of themselves. Rolling in the mud, only to stand up and splash in it playfully with their hooves.

She looked over her shoulder, quirking her brow at Dean.

He just grinned.

Despite the burn in his legs the next thing he knew he was toeing off his boots and tearing off his jacket as he went running out into the rain.

Adrianna laughed, pulling her shirt over her head and running out in front of him in her sports bra.

He laughed, grabbing her around her waist and crashing into the sludge.

She pushed him, laughing even harder when Sin and Cheese went playfully running around them and kicking up more mud.

“You asked for it,” he grinned, teeth blindingly white against the mess on his face as he launched himself at her, tackling her into the mud.

Adrianna – out of his view – grabbed a handful of the mud and pushed it into his face with a loud splat. “Much better. Now I don’t have to look at that ugly mug,” she laughed.

The two of them spent almost a half hour mud warring while the horses played nearby until Mr. Atkins came out to tell them the storm was supposed to get worse and that they should get in the house soon. He only hesitated to add that they should clean off before they went in.

***** Meanwhile *****

“So what’re we doing today?” Sam asked curiously, a yawn escaping him as he followed the brunette down the dirt path towards the barn.

“Probably not much,” she replied with a wary glance at the dark clouds hovering over the wooded area twenty yards from behind the house. “Storm’s on its way. And it looks pretty angry.”

“Didn’t know storms could do that.”

“Well, you’ve learned now, haven’t you?” she chuckled, casting a smile over her shoulder to him as she approached the barn. “Now, I want you to meet someone.” Nicole led him over to one of the stables just as the red roan appeared, long nose twitching for attention.

Sam couldn’t help but grin at the horse as she shook her head, red mane wafting around her neck.

“Sam, this is Rose and soon-to-be foal,” Nicole stated, patting the horse’s neck.

“I’ve gotta say, this is a first,” he chuckled. “Meeting a pregnant horse.”

“Well, it’s her first time meeting a giraffe,” she retorted, trying to hide the smirk that almost instantly appeared on her lips.

“Was that…” He made a face, his dimples indenting his cheeks. “Did you just call me a giraffe?”

“No,” she bit out, failing to mask her laughter.

“Nicole!”

“Yes!” She didn’t even have time to work out some sort of goofy apology, before he’d managed to corner her near the door of the barn, but not enough so she could escape through it. “Sam… Whatever you’re thinking about doing, stop thinking about doing it, please…”

“Giraffe’s are such gangly creatures…”

“And you’re not?” Before she could stop herself, the words had come out and she clapped her hands over her mouth – also stifling the giggles threatening to come bubbling to the surface at any second.

“Oh, so I’ve downgraded from giraffe to just gangly creature now?”

Nicole pretended to think about it for a second and nodded, finally giving up on covering the grin that spread across her face.

Sam grinned, slow and easy, and something in her stomach twisted.

He lifted his arms and braced his hands on the worn silver wood of the barn on either side of her head and leaned in, mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Sam,” she said quietly, all previous laughter gone.

Sam didn’t bother to say anything back, just leaned down slow and sealed his lips over hers.

She froze until he let his tongue sweep across the seam of her lips and she gasped against him. He used it against her and thrust his tongue into her mouth, twisting it around her own.

She sighed, letting her hands come up to curl into the sweat damp fabric of his t-shirt.

When his own hands slid down to cup her cheeks she let out a startled gasp, her fingers flattening out against his chest and she pushed.

She met his wide eyes, pupils blown open, for a split second before she went rushing out of the barn just short of running.

“Clean Rose’s stall!” she yelled, hoping he would listen instead of following her.

Both of them managed to avoid each other the rest of the afternoon until the storm rolled in.

* * *

 

Nicole heard the thunder rolling in from her bedroom window and the breeze that ominously rustled the leaves on the trees nearby. She slammed the wooden frame shut and snuck down the stairs cautiously to the kitchen. After all, she’d thought Sam too shy to kiss her like he had; but she was more surprised that afterwards, when she had came inside and fallen asleep in her room, she had a rather steamy dream about the two of them in the shower.

The dirty images clouded her mind again and she tried to shake them off, reaching into the fridge to grab a drink. Mentally making a note that they were almost out of beer, she grabbed the fruity drink her cousin had left in there and shut the door.

“HOLY SHIT!”

Sam was standing at the back door and just as she shut the refrigerator door, he knocked to get her attention and caused her to drop the open bottle, essentially spilling it all over the floor.

Without thinking about it, she unlocked the sliding glass door and went to pick up the jug off the tiles. When she reached over the counter to grab the paper towels, her hand met his, but she did her best to ignore it by avoiding eye contact.

“What were you doing on the deck?” the brunette inquired, her tone coming off as fearful.

“I…just--”

“Avoiding me. Got it.” She didn’t seem angry about it, but as if she’d been doing the same.

The tense silence that took over could’ve told anyone something was going on between the two of them.

“Sam…about earlier,” Nicole started quietly.

“I shouldn’t have done it, Nik--”

“No, it wasn’t your fault… I didn’t mean to…react…like I did,” she stuttered out awkwardly. “I think you just startled me…”

“Startled you?” He cocked an eyebrow at her.

“I just…I don’t know… Everything was fine and then you got that look in your eye… I swear, for a second I thought you were gonna, like, rape me or something. It was that…” She shook her head. “I don’t know,” she repeated. “I might’ve just been freaked out that I wanted it.”

“Wait,” Sam bit the corner of his lip, confused, “what _exactly_ did you want?”

“Oh for god’s sakes, Sam! I didn’t want you to rape me!” she exclaimed and immediately snapped her mouth shut when her father appeared in the doorway, about to say something before he heard her, then shook his head and walked away.

Sam couldn’t help but burst into a fit of laughter.

“Wait, Dad! I didn’t…” Nicole gave up and slumped down onto the floor next to Sam. The moment she glanced over at him in bouts of hysterical laughter, her own giggles bubbled to the top.

A few minutes later, they both settled into silence.

“If he’s suspicious of you for the next twenty four hours, don’t be worried,” she said with a tired sigh.

Sam looked over at her, a smirk tugging at his lips. He was very gradually leaning over to kiss her when the front door opened.

Adrianna and Dean stumbled in, soaking wet from the rain that was now pounding on the sliding glass door behind Sam and Nicole.

“What the hell happened in here?” Adrianna asked, laughing at the juice splattered across the floor and the two adults sitting on the floor, the ghost of laughter on their own faces.

“Nothing,” Nicole replied quickly, standing up to grab the paper towels again and wiping up the juice before it stained anything.

Dean shared a look with the brunette he’d just come in with and shook his head. “You want the shower first, Adri?”

“Nah, I’m gonna supervise these two. You go first,” she stated with a chuckle.

“Alright,” he sighed before jogging up the stairs towards the bathroom.

* * *

 

The storm passed within two hours and by this time, it was dark outside. Nicole was sitting by the pool listening to the crickets’ chirp, her head rested on her knees, the butt of her denim shorts nearly soaked through because of the wet concrete. The pale blue light of the pool reflected onto her skin, almost making it appear as if it were sparkling. After the rain, the temperature had cooled down drastically and the gentle breeze caressing her skin caused goosebumps to appear instantaneously.

The lanterns around the pool were lit now, to keep the bugs away, so when the lights by the house turned off, she didn’t notice much. That was until Sam quietly approached and threw his jacket over her shoulders before taking a seat next to her to dip his feet in the warm water.

“Thanks,” she murmured against her knee with a smile.

“You’re welcome,” he replied, returning the smile as he slipped his arm around her waist.

“How’d you know I was out here?”

“I looked,” he chuckled. “Your dad asked me to turn the light off. Thought you could use some company.”

“Of course I could.”

They both went quiet comfortably and Nicole found herself snuggling closer to him to get warm.

“If you’re really that cold, why don’t you just go inside?”

“Because,” she declared, “I like sitting out here cuddling with you.”

Sam felt his cheeks heat up, sliding her as close as she could get, without having to morph into his side or sit in his lap, and resting his chin on the top of her head. The arm he had curled around her hips took the liberty of playing with her long brown locks.

“Hey, Nik,” he piped up softly.

“Hmm?”

“Would you force me to clean out another disgusting horse stall if I try kissing you again?”

Niki tilted her head to look at him, a smile gracing her lips before his lips came crashing down on hers.

* * *

 

Dean was walking into the kitchen to grab a snack when he heard water sloshing around outside. He hadn’t remembered the rain starting up again so it confused him when a splash of water hit the back door.

“What the hell…” he muttered, approaching the door and peeking through the water droplets only to realize his brother and the elder of the two girls they were staying with, were in the pool, goofing around. By the time he noticed all their clothes strewn about the patio, Adrianna was standing next to him, wondering what he was doing.

“I’ll be damned,” she murmured with a laugh. She shook her head at the realization her cousin had finally warmed up to Sam to share a pool with him naked. The way she’d phrased her own thoughts made her laugh harder.

* * *

 

Nicole grinned at the man wading around her in the water, everything below her shoulders hidden in the moonlit pool and her hair floating around her shoulder blades. “Has anyone ever told you, you’re extremely buff for someone who seems to spend most of his time in a car?”

“No, because most people who would tell me that know what I do,” he replied simply, bracing her against the wall of the pool with his knees. “Why? Is that what’s made you keep your eyes on me at all times? The muscles?”

“No,” she lied. “But it’s a huge bonus.”

“Oh really?” Sam smirked, pinning her wrists to his chest with one hand while the other tangled in the long, curly brown tresses growing at the nape of her neck.

“Yes, really,” she grinned, struggling to stay standing with the weakening of her knees. “Huge bonus.”

He leaned over to press his lips to hers, his grip around her hands loosening so she could wrap her arms around his neck as he pulled her into his lap, her legs tightening around his waist.

* * *

 

“Way to go, Sammy,” the elder Winchester chuckled inside, returning to the couch where Adrianna was sitting, flicking through channels on the TV. He could’ve easily stolen the remote from her hand but decided against it because she’d kick his ass.

“Are you sure we should be down here when they come in?” he asked with a sigh. “I mean, I don’t know about Nicole, but—”

“The last time she got laid was high school. When they come in, they’re most likely just gonna go upstairs and do it again so our best bet would be to stay right here on this couch simply because we can’t hear them – whether they’re outside or not.”

“You have a point.”

“Of course I do.”

Dean sighed.

* * *

 

Niki scrambled out of the pool, her clothes gathered messily in her arms as she ran to the sliding glass door, Sam right behind her, both giggling. She almost tripped on the two towels that were dropped in front of the threshold. Catching herself, she grabbed one up, wrapped it around herself before throwing the other one at Sam and ran through the living room, only stopping for a moment to shut off the TV. She didn’t bother to comment to Sam on the fact that Adrianna and Dean were curled up together on the couch, sleeping.

Nicole tried not to slam the door behind the two of them as Sam tackled her to the bed in her bedroom.

* * *

 

To move or not to move; that was the debate in mind. The window was open a crack in Nicole’s bedroom and the post-rain breeze was sending a chill down Sam’s back, but he knew she liked the scent that wafted in along with it. After a moment, he decided to stay put; he could always use the thick blanket that had landed by the foot of the bed. He wasn’t sure if she’d dozed off already, but he was thoroughly pleased with where he was spooned in behind her, his eyes wandering the room he hadn’t had the chance to explore yet.

A photograph in an old wooden frame on the nightstand caught his attention. It didn’t take Sam long to realize it was Mrs. Atkins and Nicole when she was a little girl; not older than the age of seven.

“You look just like her, ya know,” he whispered. “Your mom,” he clarified.

“Thanks,” she murmured quietly.

Both were silent for a moment before Nicole spoke up again.

“The last time I talked to anyone about my mom was at her funeral when I was seven.”

“What happened?” he asked gently.

“Inoperable tumor; Mom thought it better to keep me in the dark, but finding out your mom’s gonna die isn’t something you should learn about in a casual conversation with one of her friends. I still have no clue how they kept it from me. I mean, everyone else knew. It was a goddamn brain tumor for shit’s sake.” She sniffled, but her voice didn’t sound like she was giving in to tears just yet. “I’d give anything for those last couple months back.”

Sam tightened his arms around her torso, placing a kiss to the pulse in her neck as he murmured, “What do you remember about her?”

Nicole thought about it for a second. “She never wanted me to ride because she was afraid I’d get hurt. I remember her suddenly changing her mind a few months before she died and not figuring out why until my grandmother told me what really happened when I turned nine.” He noticed when she trailed off to think, she was trying to hide tears brimming in her eyes. “She loved the color blue. Her hair always smelled like strawberries, even after she was out with the animals all day,” she let a sad laugh escape her lips. “And I don’t think she could go a day without listening to ‘Strawberry Wine’ by Deana Carter… She loved that stupid song. I haven’t listened to it since the last time she played it. I’m not even sure I remember the words.”

“The only memory I have of my mom is photographs.”

She glanced over her shoulder to peer at him.

“She died when I was a baby; I don’t remember any of it.”

“How old were you?”

“Exactly six months.”

Nicole really wanted to ask what happened, but given the look on his face that clearly said he didn’t want to say anymore on the subject, at least at that point in time, she suppressed the question. “So I guess I got lucky with the memories, huh?” she said quietly, trying to force a small smile as she turned around to face him, dragging the blanket from the floor to cover them both.

“You guessed right,” he smiled faintly, kissing the top of her head as she settled to sleep, using his torso as a pillow. “Night, Niki.”

“G’night, Sam,” she mumbled against his skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cheese  
> [](http://s16.photobucket.com/user/montecarlogurl87/media/FicBanners/SaveAHorse/CheeseAPHA_zps72a6f002.jpg.html)  
> 
> 
> India...this was supposed to be the horse Sam rode, but we never got around to writing anything that had him horseback  
> [](http://s16.photobucket.com/user/montecarlogurl87/media/FicBanners/SaveAHorse/India_zps0f2c4939.jpg.html)  
>   
> 


	4. Chapter 4

Dean groaned, caught somewhere in the hazy world between sleep and consciousness and went to lift his hand to rub at his eyes.

The move was aborted though when he realized Adri had fallen asleep on top of it, curled against his chest from where they had slumped into the corner of the couch.

“Shit,” he whispered, squinting to see the clock in the darkness.

He groaned and rubbed his eyes with his free hand, finally resting his head against the couch back and watching Adri sleep. He reached up to gently slip a stray stand of hair back behind her ear.

Now that he was awake he could feel the pins and needles dancing under the skin of the arm she was laying on and he tried to slowly pull it out from under her without waking her.

She sighed and cracked her eyes open, glancing up at him.

“Hey,” he rumbled, “Sorry, was trying not to wake you up.”

“S’okay,” she mumbled, “Shit, sorry,” she grinned, shifting her weight so he could pull his arm free.

“It’s alright,” he smirked shaking his arm out before lying it across the back of the couch, making no move to remove her from where she was curled up against him.

“Guess we were more tired than we thought,” he finally mumbled.

She chuckled, “Well you yeah, you’re not used to riding, it’ll wear you out.”

“I dunno how you do that, my legs are still hurting,” he groaned, cracking his eyes open to look at her.

She just smirked and arched her brow, “Told ya, riding does wonders for the legs,” she laughed quietly, still curled up in the crook of his shoulder.

He chuckled and let his arm fall down to tug her closer.

She sighed, lolling her head into the crook of his neck, fingers curling in the fabric of his shirt when he sighed and placed a light kiss against her temple.

“Can I ask you something?” he said quietly.

“Sure, but I reserve the right not to answer.”

He grinned, “Sure…how’d you end up here with your uncle and cousin?”

Adri sighed against him and he pulled her tighter against his chest.

“Couple years after Nik’s mom died my parent’s got killed in a car crash. I had always come out here during the summers anyways, and Uncle Rick’s my godfather, so I came here permanently.”

“Sorry babe,” he whispered, kissing her temple again.

“It was a long time ago,” she said quietly, pushing herself up to look at him, eyes falling closed when he leaned forward to kiss her softly.

He pulled back just long enough for her to open her eyes and stare at him before he leaned back in, threading his fingers through her hair and pulling her tighter against him.

She broke the kiss and sighed, rubbing her cheek against his.

He chuckled, “You like the stubble?”

“Maybe,” she grinned, kissing him again, smiling against his lips.

All of a sudden there was a high pitched squeal coming from the kitchen.

“What the hell is that?”

“Shit, that’s the foaling alarm. Go shut it off and I’ll go get Uncle Rick up,” she said getting up.

She bent over the back of the couch and kissed him upside down before she went pounding up the stairs and Dean rolled off the couch to go kill the alarm.

* * *

 

“Sammy!” The bedroom door slammed against the wall so hard it almost rebounded back into his older brother’s face. “Sam! Hey, you! Both of you!”

Nicole poked her head out from under the blanket and pillow next to Sam, her eyes darting from Dean, to Sam, to the clock and back to Dean. “What’re you doing?” she mumbled into Sam’s arm, closing her eyes against the light from the hallway. “It’s four in the morning!”

“Put some clothes on and get downstairs,” Adrianna cut in, suddenly standing next to Dean in the doorway, but only for an instant before she disappeared.

“What’s going on?” Sam asked hoarsely, forcing his eyes to open to more than just slits, but to the point where he could at least see his brother.

“Can’t explain, just need you two up and outta bed,” Dean said quickly. “Now!” The door slammed shut again behind him.

Sam glanced down at the worried look on Nicole’s face.

“Something’s off,” she said quietly, reaching across his torso to find her shirt from several hours previous. “I think it’s Rose.”

“Niki,” he started, but she was already scrambling around the room, trying to find anything to throw on before she sat back down to pull on her boots.

“You don’t have to come,” she interjected. “Catch a few more hours of sleep.” The way she said it almost sounded angry, but he couldn’t tell she was being serious until she stopped for only a moment to kiss him. “I’m giving you an extra hour, but only because I’m feeling generous.” Soon after that, she was out of the bedroom and pounding down the stairs.

Adrianna was already headed out the door to the barn and Dean was in the kitchen with Mr. Atkins, shrugging on his jacket to follow her.

“What’s going on?”

“We think Rose is in labor,” Mr. Atkins mumbled, rubbing a hand across his eyes as he started a pot of coffee.

“Crap,” Niki hissed, “She was pacing a lot today, I should have realized.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Mr. Atkins said, waving her off, “You know Rose, she made us think she was about to foal for a straight week last time.”

Niki laughed and pulled on her own jacket. “I’ll let you know if she starts contractions.”

Mr. Atkins nodded, pouring himself his first cup of coffee.

It was gonna be a long night.

* * *

 

It was almost an hour later, an hour spent watching Rose lay down just to get up and pace and turn around a lay down again.

Sam came out, wrapped in a jacket with coffee mugs for everyone.

“Anything?”

“We think so,” Niki said from where she was leaning over the stall door, saying thanks as he handed her a cup, “She just laid down and stretched out, hasn’t gotten back up yet, might be show time.”

“Good timing,” Dean grinned, sipping from the mug Sam handed him, standing by the second stall door, next to where Adri was leaning against the door where she was standing inside the stall.

“I’m good,” Adri smiled when Sam offered her a cup, he shrugged and placed it on one of the shelves along the wall. He turned back just in time to see Dean letting her take a sip from his mug though, without any complaint, which is saying something because Dean could be vicious when it came to his coffee.

Sam quirked an eyebrow and grinned before turning to watch Rose again.

Just then she let out a low drawn out groan, legs straight out and rigid.

“Sounds like she’s in pain,” Sam grimaced.

“You wanna push a foal through your…”

“Adri!” Niki laughed, shooting her a look.

“What?!” she grinned, stepping over to lay her hand on Rose’s swollen stomach. “Oh yeah, we’re getting there.”

Niki flipped out her phone, sending a quick text message to her dad that Rose was foaling and that they’d let him know if they needed him.

“So…you guys have done this before?” Dean asked.

“We live on a farm, what do you think?” Adri grinned.

Just then Rose let out another pained groan and there was a gush of liquid.

“Oh my god, that’s gross!” Dean grimaced.

“Nik, you wanna get the antiseptic and stuff ready?”

“Sure,” she said, stepping away and into the tack room.

“Is she okay?” Sam asked, concerned, leaning over the stall door.

“She’s fine, her water just broke, shouldn’t be too long now.”

A few more contractions later and the front feet and the nose started to slip through.

“Holy crap,” Sam whispered.

Rose groaned again, stretching her legs out as the shoulders slipped free and Rose sighed and relaxed back into the straw.

Adri ripped the sac away from the foals face, making sure it was breathing okay.

“Dude, that’s gross!” Dean exclaimed, screwing his face up.

Adri looked up at him and laughed, flicking the liquid on her fingers at him, making him jump back from the stall door.

“So not cool!”

Sam laughed and shook his head, “You went through this too, Dean.”

“Ugh, so don’t need that visual!”

Sam laughed again.

“Everything’s ready to go,” Nicole offered as she came up to stand beside Sam again, “How’s she doing?”

“Halfway there,” Adri replied from where she was crouched down beside Rose, gently rubbing the foal’s chest and shoulders.

They waited patiently a few more minutes before Rose finally pushed and the rest of the wet, tiny foal slipped out and started bobbing its head in confusion.

Sam was so enthralled with the little filly as it blinked in confusion he missed the fact that Dean had went from disgust to watching just as attentively.

“Can you hand me those towels?” Adri asked.

“Sure,” Dean said, quickly grabbing the couple that had been sitting outside waiting and handing them to her through the door.

Niki stepped in to help rub down the filly and tie off the umbilical cord, dipping it in antiseptic before they stepped back to let Rose rest. She still had to expel the afterbirth and a few minutes after she did she rolled back up and turned to start looking after her new baby.

Adri came back out from washing her hands and arms and leaned over the door to watch as Rose cleaned her little foal as it tried to stand, its long legs wobbly and knees folding before it could get its feet under it.

“God, it’s so incredible,” Sam whispered, curled up with Niki from where they were leaning over the second stall door.

“It is pretty cool,” Dean said, grinning as he came up behind Adri and wrapped his arms around her to stop her shivering, resting his chin on her shoulder and grinning at her when she looked over at him.

Everything was so quiet and soft, the sun was just starting to peek over the horizon and the sky was a soft washed pink-silver. Birds were chirping off in the distance and Sin, Cheese, India, and the proud papa Slevin were snuffling in the adjacent stalls, like they knew the miracle that had just happened. Even Dayzee was panting quietly at their feet.

Mr. Atkins came out just a few minutes before the little filly finally managed to get its feet under itself and stood on wobbly legs.

“Wow, look at that,” Dean whispered, grinning as the little girl teetered and stumbled.

Rose rocked herself back onto her feet as well and started nudging her until she finally began to nurse.

“Wow,” Sam whispered, kissing Niki on the cheek.

“Come on guys,” Mr. Atkins grinned, “They’ll be alright, why don’t you go get some more sleep, the chores can wait.”

“Thanks dad,” Niki smiled, rising on her tip toes to kiss her dad on the cheek before linking her fingers in Sam’s and heading back to the house.

“C’mon,” Adri said quietly, stepping away from the stall door and slipping her hand into Dean’s jacket pocket, pulling him along towards the house.

He arched his eyebrow at her and she just grinned and kept walking.

Mr. Atkins just smiled and sipped his coffee when he only heard two bedroom doors close.

* * *

 

Sam toed of his boots before kicking back on Niki’s unmade bed with a tired sigh. “So who gets to name her?” he asked, watching how she managed to walk right out of her already untied boots and cuddle up to him under the blanket with a shiver.

“It’s kind of a group deal. Might even be a vote now that you guys are here,” Niki chuckled. “Why?”

“Because I have the overwhelming urge to call her Oreo.”

“We’ve already got a Cheese, I don’t see why not,” she grinned. “Oreo,” she repeated. “I like it.”

“Me too.”

“I’m too tired to get up and run it by anyone now so,” she paused to let out a yawn, “I’m gonna go back to sleep.”

Sam mumbled an incoherent response just before he dozed off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> proud mamma Rose  
> [](http://s16.photobucket.com/user/montecarlogurl87/media/FicBanners/SaveAHorse/Rose_zps91da1116.jpg.html)  
> 
> 
> and little baby Oreo  
> [](http://s16.photobucket.com/user/montecarlogurl87/media/FicBanners/SaveAHorse/Oreo_zps47579ccb.jpg.html)  
>   
> 


	5. Chapter 5

Nicole woke up to the sound of Rodney Atkins’ “Cleaning This Gun” muffled by her jeans pocket and the blankets her and Sam were curled up under. Groggily, she fumbled to get to the phone before it woke him up, but essentially failed because she had to unravel herself from his arms to reach her pocket.

“Hello?” she murmured.

The person on the other end of the call seemed to be important because Niki sat up, blinking several times to at least appear awake. A smile appeared on her face not too long after.

“Yeah, my dad’s leaving this afternoon. What time’s the party?” She paused, waiting for a response. “No, that should be good. Can I bring a guest, or two?” Another pause. “Cool, I’ll see you then, Michael.” Smile still intact, she closed the phone and snuggled back under Sam’s arm.

“Who was that?” he mumbled through a yawn.

“My friend Michael, he invited us to a party tonight. Dad’s gonna be gone for the next few days so we’ve got this place to ourselves. You up for it?”

“Sounds good,” he chuckled.

* * *

 

“Is this really necessary?” Dean whined.

Adrianna sighed, “Yes, it’s necessary. You’re hanging with a bunch of cowboys and cowgirls, you’ve gotta look like you fit in.”

“I’ve never been one for fitting in.”

“Well, too bad.” She grinned at him and shoved a hat onto his head. “There. All finished.”

Dean hesitantly went to look in the mirror in the bathroom. Sam was coming out of Niki’s room at the same time; they both looked at each other before busting out laughing.

“I feel so out of place,” Sam chuckled as Niki came up next to him and slipped her arm around his waist.

“You look pretty damn good,” she smirked. “Now I don’t have to feel ashamed of being seen with a nerd.” She stuck out her tongue at him involuntarily.

Adrianna held out the camera to her cousin. “Photo op,” she stated simply and grinned triumphantly at the groan that emitted from Dean.

Niki arranged the boys in front of the wall by her room and, after getting Dean to stay still, she finally managed to snap three pictures, all with various facial expressions. “Can we get one at least semi-serious? I need to have one to hang in the living room,” she giggled. “Please?”

Sam obliged but Dean tipped his hat forward on his head so he was peering out from under the brim.

Nicole could only chuckle as she shook her head and made sure to get at least one good shot of it; she really did want to frame it and hang it on the living room wall above the TV.

* * *

 

Adrianna tapped her fingernails against the wall in annoyance with her cousin’s lack of ability to get ready fast. “Niki, come on!” she called up the stairs.

“I couldn’t find my boots!” Niki answered her as she fumbled to pull on her boots while hopping down the stairs.

Before anyone could respond to her, she disappeared out of view and only several thuds were heard.

Dean immediately burst into fits of laughter from his spot on the couch, choking on the water he was drinking while Sam tried his best not to do the same.

“Niki, are you okay?” Adri piped up, stifling her own giggles when she saw the other girl’s physique post-fall.

“I’m fucking fantastic. There is going to be a bruise on my ass by the time I go to bed tonight,” she stated with a frustrated huff.

Biting his lip, Sam made no effort to reply simply because he was afraid of his laughter deceiving him. Dean, on the other hand, had no problem blatantly and hysterically laughing.

“I give it…nine points,” Dean snickered.

Nicole smacked him upside the head, hard, before he could even attempt to stop her. “Ow!”

Sam couldn’t help but snicker to himself, but Niki’s head snapped in his direction as she said, “Laugh again and see how much sex that gets you.”

His mouth popped closed just as Dean covered his ears and shouted, “TIME TO GO!”

* * *

 

Almost the instant the foursome walked into the crowded barn, Dean was off to find a drink and Adrianna wasn’t far behind which left the other two to do as they pleased. Before Sam could offer her a dance, though, she was approached by a guy with shaggy blonde hair, stunning blue-gray eyes and the necessary cowboy boots.

“Nik!” he exclaimed, comfortably slinging an arm around her shoulders in a half hug. “Man, I haven’t seen you in forever. You look good.”

“Yeah, you too,” she smiled back. “So the friends I was talking about…” Niki glanced around for a moment. “Well, I think Dean and Adri went to get drinks but this is Sam. Sam, this is Michael. We’ve been friends since the sandbox days, I think,” she chuckled.

Michael and Sam shook hands with smiles and that was that. Michael and Niki went on catching up with one another and at some point, Sam found a break in the conversation to ask if either of them wanted a drink simply so he could get one for himself to escape how awkward it was feeling like a third wheel.

“No, I’m good, thanks man,” Michael said politely.

“I’m good, Sammy,” the brunette focused on him for an instant, leaned up to kiss his cheek. “Thanks. Can you go make sure Adri and Dean didn’t fall into a closet, though?”

He smiled at her and nodded before heading off in a different direction. Luckily, both his brother and Adrianna were at the table with the snacks laid out and the drink cooler sitting nearby so it wasn’t much of a search. But he could still see Michael and Niki talking by the entrance to the barn.

“Dude you gotta try this barbeque, freaking awesome!” Dean crowed, rib bone in his hand and sauce on his chin.

Sam just stared half in shock, half in disgust and nodded absentmindedly. Dean took that as a form of acceptance and took off back to the table off to the side with a plate in hand.

Adri just laughed and shoved a beer into his hand.

“I’m waiting to see how long he walks around with sauce on his face before he notices,” she grinned.

Sam couldn’t help but laugh and looked back over at Niki and Michael subconsciously.

Adri followed his line of sight through the crowd to see what had caught his attention.

“Well I’ll be, if it ain’t ‘lil Mikey,” she grinned.

“Mikey?”

“Yeah, Mike, her ex-boyfriend,” she said, tossing her empty beer bottle into a muck-bucket-turned-garbage-can and grabbed another, obviously on her way to becoming pleasantly buzzed, just enough to not notice the sudden wide-eyed terror on Sam’s face, his knuckles white around his own bottle.

“They dated for like _forever_. From kindergarten I swear…dunno why really they broke up,” she mused, cocking her head and studying the couple across the barn. “Everybody thought they were a sure deal, so sickly sweet it’d give you cavities, _ugh_ ,” she shuddered, sipping from her beer.

She finally looked back at Sam and noticed the freaked out look on his face and she dropped her hand.

“Oh my god, I shouldn’t have said…”

“God man! Had to use my fighting skills just to get to the table!” Dean cut in, finally shouldering his way back through the crowd with a paper plate stacked high with the ‘secret family recipe’ barbecue. “Next time you get your own damn food,” he said, holding out the plate for Sam.

Adri was still wide-eyed waiting for the fallout.

Sam just turned sharp and walked off without a word.

“Dude! I risked personal injury for this!” Dean called after him, completely unaware of the real conversation. “Ungrateful bastard,” he mumbled, biting into a rib himself.

Sam was intent on marching up to Niki, but half way there he realized he wasn’t sure what to say. No, they weren’t dating officially, just sharing a room; and a bed, but still. Despite that, he kept moving and stopped about six inches short of her and Michael.

“Niki, can I speak with you?” His voice was edgy, but it came off as more annoyed than anything.

The brunette stared at him for a moment before nodding, “Yeah, sure…”

Without warning, Sam was pulling her out of the barn towards the wooden fence standing just outside, surrounding the grassy pasture, still wet from the rainfall the previous night. Niki perched on the fence, waiting for the lecture she had a bad feeling was coming after the few minutes of silence. She’d caught a glimpse of Sam’s expression on his march over.

“You still love him,” Sam blurted out finally, but the way he’d said it had sounded almost like a question.

“Are you asking me or telling me?”

He looked up at her curiously. “I don’t know. Do you?”

Another beat of silence passed. “There’s no reason to be jealous of Michael, Sam,” Niki finally said quietly.

“I’m not jealous!” he argued.

Niki couldn’t help but give him the most exasperated look, a hint of a smile on her lips.

“You just seemed so excited to see him.”

“He’s been my best friend since pre-school.”

Sam looked up at her with a rather upset expression she immediately knew the cause of.

“We were inseparable, Sam, that doesn’t mean I loved him as anything other than a brother,” she stated.

“Yeah, but you did. C’mon, Nik, your eyes light up when you see him.”

“My eyes light up when I see Dayzee, too. I love Michael, but we just don’t have that…chemical attraction everyone thinks we do,” Niki said. “He means a lot to me, I’m not gonna deny that, but I feel really… _attached_ to you… If you were to pick up and leave tomorrow, I don’t know…” She cut herself off and picked up somewhere else. “Honestly, when we’re together, I can _feel_ the connection with you, even if you’re just looking at me; it gives me goosebumps. It’s not like that with him, it’s just…different,” she finished.

Sam glanced up to catch the sincerity on her face and saw her shiver. “I give you goosebumps?” he chuckled, a smile breaking out on his face.

“You’re doing it now and I know it’s on purpose, so stop, I’m already freezing,” she giggled as he pulled her off the fence and held her close, resting his cheek on the top of her head, his cowboy hat having been tugged off in the midst of his frustrated silence.

“Nik?”

“Hmm?” she hummed against his chest.

“I’ve got goosebumps, too.”

* * *

 

Sam led Niki back into the barn, the party now having calmed down enough to at least play a slow song or two, and scoped out his brother and Adrianna slow dancing in the center of the barn’s hay-covered floor. The song he didn’t know, which didn’t surprise him, but he was more than surprised that Dean was slow dancing to it. Luckily, there was no leftover barbecue sauce on Dean’s face.

Niki slipped away to grab a drink, but before she came back, Adrianna approached Sam with what looked like an expression crossed between worry and relief.

“So, you talked to her?” she asked.

He nodded. “Yeah, we’re okay.”

“You know, even if she and Michael appeared to be perfect for each other, that doesn’t necessarily mean they were. She opened up more to you in the past week than she has to him in the past five years. She trusts you, Sam.”

Sam glanced over to where Niki was standing by the table loaded with food, smile on her face as she chatted with one of the girls nearby, then turned his attention back to her cousin. “I know.”

The next song started and Adrianna’s face suddenly fell.

“What?” Sam stared at her, confused.

“‘Strawberry Wine’,” she said quietly. “It’s her mom’s song.”

No more than ten seconds later, Niki came over, ever-so calmly and smiled half-heartedly at the two of them. “Sam, would you mind?” she asked quietly. “Just one dance?”

Sam took her hand and led her into the other few couples slow dancing, pulling her close so she could bury her face in his shoulder to hide the few inevitable tears filling her eyes.

* * *

 

Adrianna sighed, watching her cousin dance with Sam. On the one hand she wanted to go stab whoever it was acting as DJ with a pitchfork for even playing the song, but on the other she was at least glad that Niki had Sam to lean on now.

She smirked half-heartedly and turned to find Dean again, outright smiling when she remembered his wide-eyed terror when she forced him to slow dance. For all his hemming and hawing he had moved smooth and slow against her once she got him to shut up.

She was headed back towards where she had left him when she heard his loud laugh off to the side. She finally spotted him drinking the homemade Booth’s wine straight from the bottle.

“Shit,” she hissed, pushing her way through the crowd and yanking the bottle out of his hand.

“Hey!”

She was about to rip into him, but he looked so dejected that she took the bottle away from him, and she knew all too well how…pleasantly, Booth’s wine went down that she just grinned and grabbed his hand, dragging him across the sawdust floor.

She pulled him along, all the way over to the back of the barn, where it was quiet and deserted, the farm trucks and tractors parked end to end in order to empty the rest of the area for tonight’s party.

She climbed up on the big green John Deere tractor, glancing behind her just long enough to see Dean grin and follow her.

He plopped down in the seat and she made herself comfortable in his lap, taking a healthy swig of the sweet wine before wrapping her arm around his neck and kissing slow and sticky.

His hands found her skin, soft and warm underneath the hem of her shirt and pulled her tighter against him, moaning into her kiss.

She grinned against him, switching the bottle to her free hand and keeping the other wrapped behind him to take another swig.

He held her eyes while she drank, his gaze trailing down to watch the roll of her throat at she swallowed and leaned forward to lick the bittersweet aftertaste from her lips.

She sighed against him, pushing him further down into the tractor’s seat, breaking the kiss again to tip the bottle to his lips.

Again he held her eyes, drinking the wine down until she pulled the bottle away and put it in the built in drink holder off to the side.

Wrapping both arms around his neck she kissed him again, hot and wet and slow, the alcohol leaving them both feeling relaxed and languid.

Dean groaned deep in his throat, letting his hands trail up her back.

“You gonna let me fuck you on top of a damned tractor?” he grinned against her lips.

She laughed against him.

“Not a chance cowboy,” she grinned, flicking off the ridiculous cowboy hat he had been wearing all night before plopping it down on her own head before leaning in for another kiss.

“Figured we could just make out like horny drunk teenagers,” she smiled, dragging his lower lip through her teeth.

He chuckled, wrapping his arms tight around her waist, the leather of her belt digging into his arms.

“Sounds good,” he grinned, pulling her into another kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Niki's truck  
> [](http://s16.photobucket.com/user/montecarlogurl87/media/FicBanners/SaveAHorse/Nikis92Ram_zpsb81f500e.jpg.html)
> 
> and Dean on a tractor ;)  
> [](http://s16.photobucket.com/user/montecarlogurl87/media/FicBanners/SaveAHorse/JohnDeereGreen_zps797181f8.jpg.html)  
> 


	6. Chapter 6

Dean sighed, his arm tightening around Adrianna’s waist and buried his nose deeper into her hair.

After several minutes he realized with a groan that he wasn’t getting back to sleep. He grumbled and bitched about his body getting used to these six a.m. wake up calls and not knowing the difference between weekdays and weekends and slid his legs over the side of the bed.

“Where are you going?” Adri mumbled, rolling over and pulling the down comforter back up around her shoulders, watching the way the muscles in his back shifted under the worn black t-shirt he wore while he dug at his eyes.

“Coffee,” he grunted.

Adri smiled, pinching his ass and making him jump up. “Bring me some?” she smiled.

“That’s gonna leave a mark,” he glared, rubbing the spot. Finally he sighed, rolled his eyes and bent down to kiss her, sneaking in his own ass-pinch before bolting for the hallway.

“Asshole!”

He heard the muted whump of a pillow hitting the door just as he pulled it closed and chuckled, heading down the stairs to the kitchen.

* * *

 

Sam poured some of the fresh pot of coffee into a mug he’d pulled out of the nearest cupboard just as he felt a set of arms slip around his torso and Nicole’s head rest between his shoulder blades.

“Morning,” he said quietly.

She mumbled something into the fabric of his t-shirt he assumed was a response of “good morning,” but he couldn’t he sure.

“You sleep okay?”

Niki let go of him so he could turn to face her, coffee mug set silently on the counter, and rested her head on his chest. “Thank you,” she murmured softly.

“For what?” His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Last night, for the dance,” she smiled. “I needed it.”

“You’re welcome,” Sam murmured against the top of her head.

“And thank you for not babying me about it afterwards,” she added.

He chuckled, “You’re welcome.”

Niki snaked her arms around his shoulders, standing on her toes to press a kiss to his lips. It lasted longer than she’d expected, with Sam hoisting her up and setting her on top the counter, nearly knocking over the coffee mug when she wrapped her legs around his waist.

“Where’s Dean and Adri?” Sam murmured against her lips when they finally broke apart.

“Upstairs, asleep.”

“Good,” he grinned, tugging off the t-shirt he’d thrown on the night before, just before the two of them had dropped off to sleep. Niki did the same just before—

“OH MY GOD!” Dean’s sudden shouts could’ve been heard outside. “MY EYES! MY EYES ARE BLEEDING!” He turned to run back upstairs, hands over his eyes as if they’d been scalded right out of his skull.

* * *

 

"You have to help me bleach my brain!” Dean cried, hands scrubbing at his face like he could clean the image from his eyes.

“What? And where’s my coffee?”

“Sam and Niki were getting it on in the kitchen. I don’t think the coffee’s safe at the moment. And don’t even make me make a comment about the cream.”

“Oh my god, that’s disgusting!” she said, smacking him in the head with a pillow as he collapsed on the bed and buried his face in her stomach. “Ugh,” she shuddered, “You just had to go and scar me with that didn’t you?”

“Just sharing the pain,” he mumbled.

She laughed from the vibration and settled her hand on his head, running her fingers through his hair.

“I kinda hate you, you know,” she said quietly.

“Mmm hmm,” he hummed, nuzzling into the soft tank top she had worn to bed and wrapping his arm around her hips.

* * *

 

“Sam, hurry your ass up! You had coffee and sex on the kitchen counter this morning, you should be ready to go!” Nicole called over her shoulder as she walked briskly down the dirt path towards the barn. Oreo, the recently named filly, was about to get a semi-free run in the paddock to give her wobbly legs a shot outside of the stall, but Sam was lagging. After Dean had run screaming back upstairs, they’d spent a few minutes laughing and then the next half hour destroying the kitchen in a newly located sex adventure, but ever since then…

“Sam!” she shouted again, her breathing more of a soft pant as she chased the filly around the large foaling stall, attempting to put the foal halter on the little horse. Rose seemed to find it amusing, occasionally making a sound or two when Oreo escaped Niki’s grasp. It took a few minutes, but finally she slipped it on, and took a breather before calling, even louder now, for Sam to get his ass in the barn while she got Rose and Oreo ready to go outside and into the sunshine.

After a moment, he came sliding in and tripped over his own gangly limbs, tumbling to the floor on his face, nearly taking in a nose full of sawdust from where he sprawled at Niki’s feet, right inside the stall door.

Oreo found him interesting enough to walk over and sniff the top of his head, which made Niki start to laugh.

“And he sticks the landing,” she grinned. “Oreo likes you.”

* * *

 

Dean was washing up at the kitchen sink for dinner, cleaning the dust and grime from his hands after a day of working on the Impala and ranch chores.

Adrianna came up quietly behind him, putting her hand on the small of his back and making him turn to look at her.

“Pack a bag for the weekend, we’re going somewhere after dinner,” she said quietly.

“Umm, okay…”

She nodded once and walked off to help set the table.

* * *

 

Adri was unusually quiet all though dinner. Dean kept glancing between her and Niki, trying with eye twitches and head movements to ask Niki what the hell was going on.

Finally Niki just shot him a glare that he clearly understood as ‘I don’t friggin’ know!’

She had seen her packing a bag and rolling up their camping mattress before dinner though so she nonchalantly offered to do the dishes tonight.

Adri smiled softly in thanks before heading out to the front porch.

Not knowing what was going on Dean quick ran up the stairs to grab the bag that he had thrown together after her cryptic comment.

By the time he made it out onto the front porch Adri was tossing her bag into the bed of her truck and rolling the foam camping mattress up along side of it.

She didn’t say anything to Dean, which just made him feel more uneasy, before climbing into the cab. He threw his own bag over the side before climbing in beside her as she started the engine.

Dayzee ushered them off, trotting along beside the truck until Adri drove it over the cattle grate and off towards the rear pastures.

* * *

 

“Son of a bitch…” Niki whispered, with a plate in her hands, covered in soap.

“What?” Sam asked, sidestepping so he could look out the kitchen window over the sink.

Adri’s black truck headed towards the rear of their property, driving down one of the many dirt tracks that criss-crossed their acreage.

“What’s she up to anyways?”

Niki swallowed, shoving the plate in Sam’s direction to dry.

“There’s a river that cuts across the back of our land, through the wooded section that we left. After Adri’s parents died she used to go out there all the time, sometimes we wouldn’t see her for a couple days,” she paused. “She’s _never_ taken anyone out there.”

“Wow,” Sam whispered, looking back out the window just in time to see the truck go over a hill and out of sight.

Niki suddenly turned to him, wielding a wet, soapy fork, “If your brother breaks her heart, I will hurt him and you’re not allowed to hold it against me.”

He nodded albeit a bit hesitantly and pushed the fork back towards the sink.

* * *

 

Dean could tell something was up and kept his mouth shut the whole ride. He could tell that Adri was barely keeping it together.

He propped his arm up across the back of the seat and let his fingertips rest against the back of her neck.

Adri glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and smiled half-heartedly. He smiled back and slid over until he could wrap his arm around her shoulders, staying there the rest of the way.

She navigated her way through the trees, following some barely-there paths until the trees gave way to the crushed gravel and clay of the riverbank. She swung the truck around and backed it up so the bed was facing the water.

She shut off the engine and sighed, staring at the Chevy Bowtie on the steering wheel before getting out.

Dean blinked after she slammed the door and hesitated a split second before he got out on his own side.

She had climbed over the side of the bed and was digging in her backpack, finally yanking out a pair of swim trunks, throwing them at Dean and giggling when they smacked him in the face.

He cocked his eyebrow at her and then grinned devilishly when she started unbuttoning her jeans.

“Such a pig,” she grinned, rolling her eyes, yanking down on the denim to show of her boy short bikini bottom.

Dean had seen the tied neck of her top peeking out from under her t-shirt before they even left, but if acting like a horn dog could make her smile then he was more than willing to play it up.

She pulled off her shirt next and kicked it and her pants to the corner of the truck bed before hopping off the tailgate and heading towards the water.

“You comin’?” she asked, feet sloshing in the cool water as she waded out.

Dean quick changed from his jeans and shirt to the swim trunks she had brought and followed her out to the small strip of rapids the stretched from bank to bank.

Adri settled herself down into one of the dips in the rocks, leaning her head back and closing her eyes, letting the water rush over her skin before it carried on down the river.

“Pretty nice place,” Dean said, glancing around and running his hand through the clear water before settling himself down into a hole next to her, bumping her foot with his own.

“Yeah,” she said quietly, finally tipping her head back forward and playing with the class ring she always wore.

“What’s up babe,” he rumbled.

She heaved a sigh and continued playing with her ring, not making eye contact with him.

“Started coming out here after I moved in…after my parents. Just sorta my spot to get away, ya know?” she said, glancing up at him for a split second with a forced smirk before looking away again.

“Used to pack up the truck, take a cooler and just camp out for a few days,” she said quietly, tipping her head back into the water again.

Dean reached over and grabbed a hold of her wrist, pulling her over and onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her back against his chest.

“Never brought anybody out here before,” she mumbled and he could feel the way she tensed against him.

“Thanks,” he said quietly, kissing her temple.

He watched her drag her fingers through the muddy riverbed before he reached down to run his finger over a thick scar that ran up the inside of her thigh.

“How’d you get that trophy?”

“That car crash my parents were in…I was there too.”

“Jesus,” he sighed, pulling her tighter against him.

“Don’t remember much, got knocked out…blessing in disguise I guess. Dunno how I would have handled it if I had been awake.”

Dean didn’t know what to say, there wasn’t really anything _to_ say. She had taken a big step and shown a lot of faith and trust in him by just bringing him out here, let alone telling him what she had. He had a feeling not many people outside her cousin and uncle really knew the ugly details.

“What about you?” she asked, turning her head to look at him. “You’ve got an awful lot of war wounds.”

Dean forced a chuckle, slipping his bullshit mask on as much as he didn’t want to.

“Oh you know, military dad, rough and tumble boys. I’ve done my fair share of stupid stunts,” he grinned, biting the inside of his cheek and hoping she would buy the lie.

It’s not that he wanted to lie to her, but at the given moment he was pretty sure it wasn’t a good idea to spill the whole sordid monster hunting tale.

She held his eyes just long enough for a hot spike of nervousness to light up in his chest before turning back and leaning back into him.

He sighed, pulling her closer and listened to the water rush around them.

* * *

 

They built a fire on the bank of the river and relaxed by the heat, drying off and sipping some beer that Adri had packed in a cooler.

Once the fire started to die down they headed back to the truck where Adri threw the bags with their clothes through the cab window and unrolled the foam camping mattress out over the truck bed.

She turned around to see Dean sitting on the tailgate wiping the sand off his bare feet before he crawled into the bed.

She grinned at him, laying back and letting him crawl over her, where he dipped down to kiss her softly.

He broke the kiss to open his eyes and look at her when he felt her fingers start to untie the bow of the drawstring on his board shorts.

“You sure?” he asked, quietly.

She just looked up at him and nodded, one hand wrapping around the back of his neck to pull him back down into a kiss while the other finally undid the string holding the shorts around his hips.

Dean slid his hand around to pull at the tie around her neck, slipping the straps down off her shoulders.

He broke the kiss again, holding her eyes as he pulled the fabric away.

Adri grinned at him and he smiled back before kissing her again, her legs looping around his hips, successfully pushing his trunks the rest of the way off.

* * *

 

Niki and Sam were washing down Slevin and India after their ride. More like Niki was washing Slevin, India patiently waiting his turn, while Sam chased Dayzee around with the hose.

All of a sudden he slid to a stop almost face-planting into the mud when he saw Adri’s truck…or what looked vaguely like Adri’s truck coming over the cattle grate towards the barn.

“What the hell…”

Niki stopped, soap bubbles all the way up to her shoulder and stepped around Slevin who snorted his annoyance at the interruption, to see whatever had caught Sam’s attention.

It _was_ Adri’s Chevy, but it was accompanied by what looked like an extra ton of mud.

“Oh my god,” Niki started laughing, tossing the sponge into the soap bucket and walking over to stand next to Sam.

Adri climbed down out of the truck, just as dirty as it was except for the bright white smile that was plastered across her face.

Dean groaned and jumped down from the other side and Sam busted out laughing. He was covered from head to foot in mud and didn’t seem to be as thrilled about that as Adri was.

“You just had to, didn’t you?” Niki laughed, planting her soapy hands on her hips and grinning at Adri.

“Had to initiate him sometime,” she shrugged, heading for the barn. “Hurry up and finish the horses, I need to wash my baby.”

“You talking about the truck or Dean?” Sam laughed.

He was promptly rewarded with a ball of mud to the back of his head and turned shocked to see Dean laughing his ass off, one clear stripe on the truck’s fender from where he had scooped off his ammunition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adri's truck  
> [](http://s16.photobucket.com/user/montecarlogurl87/media/FicBanners/SaveAHorse/Adris85Chevy_zps4cd36df7.jpg.html)
> 
> and on the way back to the ranch ;)  
> [](http://s16.photobucket.com/user/montecarlogurl87/media/FicBanners/SaveAHorse/ChevyMud_zpscc77751b.jpg.html)  
> 


	7. Chapter 7

Niki watched the flashes of light dance across the walls, listening to the rumble of thunder following soon after, but no rain had started falling from the dark clouds looming above the two-story ranch. She glanced at the clock by her head, curious as to the time, and sighed in frustration at the fact that it was only midnight. The younger of the two Winchesters was curled in close behind her, one arm secured around her waist, his forefinger tracing shapes on her stomach beneath his faded navy blue t-shirt. He knew something was on her mind, but he hadn’t been able to coax it into a confession yet.

“You gonna talk to me yet, babe?” he murmured against the skin of her shoulder, eyes still closed in a failed attempt to drop off to sleep.

“When your car’s up and running again,” she started, swallowing the lump in her throat, “are you gonna leave?”

Sam let out a heavy sigh, his bare, chiseled chest pressing tighter to her back with the intake of breath. “I dunno,” he mumbled. “I could maybe stay, but I’d still have to go on road trips every so often. If Dean is willing to leave without me, he might still want me with him sometimes, but I dunno if he’d be willing to just pack up and hit the road either. He’s becoming rather attached to your cousin.”

“Why would you have to go on road trips?”

Another sigh escaped his lips.

“What?” she asked.

Sam sat up and settled against the headboard, holding the sheets as Niki shifted to sit up and face him, eyes curious. “C’mere,” he said, gesturing for her to get comfy. She obliged and nestled into his side, one hand resting against his chest.

“I don’t really know where to begin, so I’m just gonna go ahead and say it…” he said but still hesitated. “Dean and I…we hunt…monsters,” he stated quietly.

“Na na na na na na Ghostbusters!” she grinned, glancing up at him, waiting for the punch line.

Sam’s lips tilted up ever so slightly, smile soft and sad and dropped his gaze to where his hand was gripping the bedspread.

Niki waited a second for him to crack a smile, to tell her he was just kidding, but he never did. “Oh…my god…you’re serious!” she said slowly, frozen to where she sat until he looked up to meet her gaze. Then she scrambled to get untangled from the sheets.

“Nik, hang on, before you freak out—”

“Before?! I’ve been sleeping with a guy that claims he hunts monsters for a living!” she forced out, running her hands through her hair. “Oh my god, _seriously?!_ ” She shot him a withering look as she snatched up her jeans.

“Niki, please just let me explain,” Sam rushed to say, hand reaching out as he started to get up to stop her, the move aborted when she shot him a glare.

“Monsters?” she repeated, voice low and dangerous. “I trusted you and come to find out you’re some kind of crazy…psychopath! Ugh!” she said, pounding down the stairs.

Sam would’ve followed, but he was only clad in boxers and it would most likely wake the entire household if it hadn’t already. “Nicole!” he hissed in a whisper, leaning out the door, but she was out of sight. The last thing he heard was the back door slam shut behind her.

* * *

 

Dean had heard the ordeal from the bathroom between their rooms. There was kinda no way he could have missed Niki’s shrieking about his brother being crazy and the way she’d stormed out of the house. He’d told Adrianna not to wake Sam in the morning, refusing to explain what they’d been arguing about but she reluctantly agreed.

Mr. Atkins didn’t say anything as to why he hadn’t seen his daughter at six that morning, nor did he comment on the younger brother’s absence.

Around eleven, while Adri was in the kitchen eating a sandwich for lunch, Dean took it upon himself to head on up to Nicole’s room to check on his little brother. Much to his dismay, Sam hadn’t even made it back into Niki’s bed the night before after she had stormed out. Instead, he’d crashed on the floor with the faded floral patterned comforter and Niki’s pillow. Dean plopped down next to him and sat in silence for a long moment.

“Sammy,” he sighed, shaking him a little and pulling the blanket down over his head. “C’mon, man, you’ve gotta get up, get some caffeine and grub in your system.”

“Where’s Niki?” Sam rumbled, somewhat miserably.

“I found her in the barn with Dayzee this morning…moved her to the couch,” he sighed. “You told her, didn’t you?”

“She thinks I’m fucking crazy.”

“She also says your name in her sleep and was asking me half-consciously why I cut my hair. What’d you expect? Her to _not_ freak out?”

“I don’t know what I was expecting, but I know what I got. So if you don’t mind,” Sam tugged the blanket back over his head, “I’m going back to sleep.”

Dean let out a relenting sigh, squeezing Sam’s shoulder gently before getting up to leave the room. He returned a few minutes later with a sandwich and a bottle of water. He left it for Sam on the end table and shut the door behind him as he went back downstairs.

Now, to talk to Nicole. When he had gone through the living room, the couch had been empty and the blanket he had tossed over her was twisted up on the cushions so he could only assume she’d gone back outside.

“She’s in the barn with Slevin,” Mr. Atkins said quietly, startling him a little bit.

Dean nodded a thank you in response and pushed the screen door open to head out to the barn. Lo and behold, Nicole was out behind the barn, trotting around on Slevin, perfectly calm, like nothing had happened between her and Sam the night before. The second she spotted Dean watching, though, her face fell and she stopped Slevin next to where Dean was leaning against the fencepost.

“Don’t look at me like I’m crazy,” he said. “I’m not. And neither is my brother.”

“ _Hunting monsters_?” she hissed. “How does that not sound crazy to you?”

“Because it’s what we do. It’s our job.”

“There’s _employers_ for monster-hunting?”

“No, there’s no employers…we, employ ourselves, I guess” he chuckled dryly. “Niki, it sounds crazy, I know. Believe me, he’s used to getting weird looks from the people we’re trying to help, but the fact that he trusted you with this…” he sighed. “Look, it’s just a big deal for him…a _really_ big deal. And I get it, I do, I know it sounds batshit insane but…it’s the truth, there’s not much more I can say than that.”

“I apologize if this is a little much for me to swallow.”

“You don’t have to apologize. _I know_ , okay, I mean it. But…I dunno what to tell you. It’s what we do, it’s real, all that shit out there is real. It’s what we were raised to do, what we’ve always done. And Sam can prolly count on one hand who outside of the job he’s ever trusted with that information.”

“And I called him crazy and basically told him he should’ve been locked in a rubber room by the way I acted,” she sighed, the earnest tone and the look of Dean’s eyes giving her pause, at least enough to go talk to Sam, even if it still was a little hard to believe.

“So go apologize,” he replied simply, with a shrug. “I can show you, if you want, we can show you, that this stuff is real, but…you still need to talk to Sam.”

The brunette stared at him for a moment, unsure of how to respond. Slevin nickered, as if in agreement with Dean. She sighed, “Is he still upstairs?”

“He hasn’t come out of the room yet today, that I’ve seen at least.”

She nodded, but didn’t move right away. “Does Adri know?” she asked after a few minutes of silence.

“No…” Dean sighed, “I…I haven’t found the right way or time to tell her yet…I plan to but well…I’m sure you can understand how I have to approach it carefully.”

Niki nodded, sighing again and looking up towards the house. She dismounted from Slevin and led him back out of the pasture and walked him over to Dean. “Can you untack him for me?”

“Sure,” he smiled softly, patting this horse on his neck, chuckling when Slevin nudged against Niki, making her stumble a step.

* * *

 

Nicole made her way up the stairs, rather slowly, and approached her room with as much caution as she could. She’d been thinking about what Sam had told her since she left the room last night, furiously confused. The whole conversation still rung crystal clear in her head. She’d gone from worrying about him leaving, to leaving him thinking he’d made a huge mistake by telling her the truth. He’d never judged her about anything she’d told him about her life. He hadn’t even really been all that worried about Michael, other than the two hour jealousy phase. But she’d thrown a nice, huge fit when he’d been nothing but honest. How easily was he going to accept an apology for that?

The half-eaten sandwich and empty water bottle on the end table and the lump of blankets she assumed was Sam only confirmed that she had definitely overreacted. After a moment of hesitation and nervousness, Niki laid down on the carpet behind him and tightened her arm around what she assumed to be his waist. She felt him tense, at first, and then relax once she spoke.

“I’m sorry I called you crazy,” she whispered.

She felt him exhale softly at her admission.

“Dean talked to me,” she continued, when it was clear that he wasn’t going to. “It’s still…it’s still a little hard for me to believe but…I believe you. Both of you…”

Finally Sam’s arm arched up, pulling the blanket down from over his head.

“Do you mean that?” he whispered, voice rough with exhaustion and worry.

“Yeah, I do,” she said softly.

* * *

 

Dean grabbed the handle of the old green toolbox and went to pull it out of the trunk when the lid popped open and spilled a majority of his tools over the floor and their bags.

“Son of a bitch!”

He picked up the pieces viciously, cursing under his breath the entire time because the last person to use the toolbox was Sam. And _Sam_ had left the clasps open.

“I’m gonna fucking kill him, fucking stupid college boy, fucking doesn’t know how to close a fucking toolbox…”

Having picked most of the tools back up he pulled up on the false bottom and began digging through their guns and supplies to find the set of sockets that had rolled away when the box had been dumped.

He was too wrapped up in his own anger and frustration to look up when he heard the rustle of footsteps over the sawdust floor of the work shed.

“I swear to god Sam you better turn the fuck around right now before I kill you,” he growled, grabbing a screwdriver to threaten him with.

Except it wasn’t Sam who had come to check on him, it was Adrianna.

At about the same time he realized it wasn’t Sam, he watched her eyes go wide, smile fading from her face as she took in the vast array of weapons in the trunk of the Impala.

He dropped the screwdriver towards the open toolbox at his feet, the metal hitting with a clang and his arm shot out to slam the trunk closed.

Her own arm shot out at the same time to stop him, hand hitting with a smack against the false floor of the car and she finished her once over of the weapons before her eyes shot to Dean.

“What the fuck…” she whispered.

“Look, I can explain…” he hastily shot out, hands coming up in a nonviolent gesture.

She was already taking a step back though.

“You…I don’t even…I don’t even _know you,_ do I?” she asked, lip pulled into a sneer before she spun and ran off.

“Damnit! Adri!”

He slammed the trunk closed, kicking over the toolbox in his haste and cursing up a blue storm again. He kneeled down, scooping the tools back into the box, sawdust and all, before slamming the lid closed and running after Adrianna.

He yanked the door open to the kitchen, startling Sam and Niki who were taking a break from working and drinking some tea.

“Dean, what the fuck man…” Sam started.

“Have you seen her?”

“What?” Niki asked, putting down her glass.

“Adrianna! Have you seen her?!”

“No, Dean, what’s wrong?” she asked, standing up.

“She saw…” he said, drawing in a deep breath, “God _damnit_ , she saw the trunk…the guns, and the… _shit_!”

He didn’t finish his statement, just hit the doorframe and took off running again.

“Dean!” she started.

Sam grabbed her arm, stopping her from chasing after him and shut the door quietly.

“Trust me, I know you wanna run off 'cause it’s your cousin, but let him handle it,” he said quietly.

She sighed and let him wrap his arm around her, “Okay.”

* * *

 

Dean headed to the barn first. He didn’t bother slowing as his feet hit hard on the brick aisle way. Seeing Adrianna’s saddle still on its rack he ran straight out the back just to see Sin lift his head and look at him like he’d lost his mind.

Dean pulled in a shaky breath, relieved she at least didn’t grab her horse and ride off. There would be no way he could find her if she had taken off to the acres of land her uncle owned.

Feeling stupid that he didn’t think of it first he hopped the fence and cut across the yard just to make sure her truck is still parked out front.

He was pretty damned sure she wouldn’t go _back_ to the Impala so instead veered to the larger barn set away from the house, where they keep the tractor and machinery, extra hay and feed stored in the loft.

The door was cracked open just wide enough for a body to slip through. The minute he shouldered his way through he knew she was inside.

He could hear country music, volume down soft, threading its way through the hay and metal.

He glanced around the shadows. She wasn’t sitting on any of the mowers or tractors, he saw a pitchfork on the wall and smirked to himself, at least he didn’t have that flying at his head when he walked in.

“Adri?” he called softly.

He could hear the hay up in the loft rustle and sighed, finally allowing himself to catch his breath.

Stepping softly on the rungs of the ladder he made his way up to the loft, pausing and meeting her eyes, making sure she wasn’t gonna push him back over before he let himself crawl across the wooden floor towards her.

He brushed some hay from his hands, settling down in the loose hay she was reclined in.

“I’m sorry you had to find out that way,” he started, unsure of how he planned to finish.

“Do I even wanna know what I just found out?” she asked quietly, leaning forward and wrapping her arms around her knees, one wrist clasped in her hand in front of her.

He stared at her back for a minute, wondering if she leant forward to try to put some space between them.

“Maybe not,” he said slowly, watching her inhale. “Me and Sam are hunters.”

Even sitting behind her he could picture her sarcastic smirk as she dropped her head and shook it cynically.

“I’ve been around hunters my entire life Dean, none of them have a hidden compartment in their car with an arsenal big enough to equip a small army. So how ‘bout you don’t lie to me?” she spit out, turning her head to pierce him with her blue eyes. “I think I deserve that much.”

He sighed again, dropping his own gaze to where he was spinning the silver band on his finger.

“I’m not,” he said quietly. “You just didn’t let me finish. We hunt…monsters.”

He looked back up just in time to see her eyebrow arch.

“Ghosts. Demons. Monsters under the bed. All those scary stories you heard as a kid. They’re real. And me and Sam…we kill ‘em.”

“You expect me to believe that?”

“Honestly, no, I don’t expect you to. But I hope you do, ‘cause it’s the truth,” he said, holding her eyes. “I know I fucked this up Adri but…I won’t lie to you,” he finished quietly. “You do deserve better than that.”

She looked away in silence, arms wrapped around her knees.

Dean hesitantly reached out, letting his fingers brush softly against her elbow.

“What are you listening to?” he asked, grinning as he finally paid attention to the lyrics: _‘don’t let our love start slipping, love start slipping away…’_

She laughed, “Vince Gill,” she grinned with a shrug, letting the silence fall back down between them.

“Were you gonna tell me?” she finally asked quietly, turning to look at him again.

“Yeah,” he answered just as quietly. “It’s just,” he smirked cynically, “it’s kinda hard to bring into a conversation.”

She looked away again, but he didn’t remove his touch from her arm and felt bolstered by the fact that she let him keep it.

“I didn’t want you to find out this way.”

“Does Niki know?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, even if she didn’t see him. “Sam told her.”

“You believe me?” he asked quietly.

She huffed out a laugh and scrubbed her hands over her face.

His hand fell away from her elbow with the movement and he let it fall, slipping his first two fingers into the back pocket of her jeans, letting out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding when she didn’t pull away.

“I shouldn’t…god, this is so fucked up…but,” she sighed, “Yeah, I do,” she said softly, turning to look at him again.

“So,” she sighed again, “This is what you do…you hunt, things.”

He didn’t answer right away, just let his thumb sweep back and forth across the small strip of skin that showed where he shirt had rode up.

“My mom was killed, our Dad raised us this way, it’s what we’ve always done,” he finally answered, making her turn to look at him again.

He finally leaned forward himself, softly resting his forehead against hers and watched her close her eyes.

“I swear I was gonna tell you babe,” he rumbled, “Just wanted to make sure you trusted me enough before I laid on the crazy.”

She grinned but kept her eyes closed, hand coming up to curl in his shirt.

“We okay?” he asked quietly, watching the way her lip twitched into a grin at the corner.

“Yeah,” she sighed, fingers tightening in his shirt when he let his lips brush across hers.

He pulled back with an arched eyebrow when, yet again, he realized what the little radio in the corner was belting out: _‘oh my petty little Adriana…’_

“Seriously?” he grinned.

“What?” she smiled back, “It’s my song.”

He laughed, but let his hand come up to cup her jaw and leaned back in to a soft kiss.

Her own hand came up to slip behind his neck and pull him down with her as she laid back in the hay.

Dean’s knee slipped over her own denim clad leg and he lowered himself over her, holding her eyes.

“You sure?” he rumbled, feeling the flutter of her stomach, pushed flush against his own.

“Yeah,” she whispered back, her heel running up his leg as her eyes closed and he slipped his fingers under the hem of her shirt, right before he leaned in to kiss her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  See? Not really an ending...not really finished. Did the Impala get fixed? Did the boys stay? Did they make it home-base? Did they leave? Do the girls get involved in hunting?...WHO KNOWS LOL XD But I still like what we did manage to write, so now it's posted for safe-keeping. :)
> 
> ***
> 
>  
> 
> [](http://s16.photobucket.com/user/montecarlogurl87/media/FicBanners/SaveAHorse/DeanampAdri1_zps070c15b8.jpg.html)  
> [](http://s16.photobucket.com/user/montecarlogurl87/media/FicBanners/SaveAHorse/SamampNiki1_zpsbd604a8e.jpg.html)  
> [](http://s16.photobucket.com/user/montecarlogurl87/media/FicBanners/SaveAHorse/SamampDean1_zps0f5eb04a.jpg.html)  
>   
> 


	8. Chapter 8

I'm adding this after the fact cus I had totally forgotten that Show did in fact send our boys to a ranch...and I (re)stumbled across this while going thru screencaps :)

[ ](http://s16.photobucket.com/user/montecarlogurl87/media/FicBanners/SaveAHorse/normal_supernatural814-000735_zpsa81628ae.jpg.html)   



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